New Zealand’s schools work hard to earn the trust of their communities. As part of the important work they do, schools need to collect and hold a large body of confidential and private information about children and their families.

The 2020 Communications Trust ICT in Schools survey suggests that if digital records and email are not already used extensively in every New Zealand school, they soon will be.

In recent years some schools have taken a step further, and are starting to send information to computing services outside the school grounds for storage and processing.

In the hands of teachers who have been supported with skills development and the freedom to innovate, new devices and cloud services present wonderful opportunities to prepare students for the future.

“The rise of new computing services is a huge enabler for schools. It allows for more efficient provision of services compared with on-site hardware, and a wider range of services can be brought into the school,” says Jordan Carter, Acting Chief Executive of InternetNZ.

However, as with most new innovations, there are new risks to understand.

Schools need to learn about what is happening behind the scenes. They need to ensure that their staff have the knowledge and tools they need to work in this environment. Schools may not be fully aware whether data is safe, or even that they might have lost control of it.

Jordan says, “The most important way to deal with these challenges is open and up front discussion in school communities and with providers. Know what is offered, and on what terms, from service providers - especially in terms of data security and privacy, and commercialised use of data. Demand clarity from providers in their answers - plain English explanations and clear documentation.”

“It will be useful to for schools to canvass a wide array of options and the pros and cons of each service option, where privacy and data safety concerns exist, but also be careful not to idealise the status quo – school-hosted services could have downsides on the privacy and security front too.”

The importance of privacy

Privacy is known to be a top concern for New Zealanders.

• Loss of privacy is the third most serious concern for New Zealanders when it comes to the online challenges, after child predators and identity theft. (UMR Research for NetSafe/AVG in 2011)
• Awareness of online privacy issues is increasing rapidly in New Zealand, with the number of people unwilling to use the Internet from a public location jumping from 9% in 2009, to 51% in 2012. (Statistics NZ survey on Household Use of Information and Communications Technology, 2012)
• Concerns about privacy have increased significantly in the last couple of years, and are at their highest point in a decade. (UMR Research for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, 2012, PDF)
• 88% of New Zealanders surveyed agreed that ‘It's extremely important that businesses tell me what they are doing with my personal information’. (UMR Research for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, 2012, PDF)

At Microsoft, we were interested to find out more about what New Zealand parents want for their children’s privacy at school, so we asked Curia Market Research to survey 400 parents about their expectations.

Of the parents in the survey, 95% want schools to require providers of computing and Internet services to commit by contract that they’ll only use student data to deliver services to schools, not for the companies’ own purposes.

The survey indicated that 97% of parents want schools to ensure student data is used only for education, and not for commercial exploitation.

A full 99% of parents indicated their belief that schools’ duty of care should apply to the computer and Internet environment they provide for student learning.

Law and Ethics

Schools often have to make decisions “in loco parentis”. That is, schools make decisions in the place of a child’s parent or guardian – and boards of trustees, principals, and teachers have a corresponding duty of care towards students.

In her Privacy in Schools book, Kathryn Dalziel says, “Schools should only use personal information for the purpose for which it was collected.”

“The starting point is that a school must look after students’ information and not release that information to third parties.”

The book includes a sample privacy consent form based on principle of obtaining consent for new uses of student data from a student’s parent or guardian.

The New Zealand School Trustees Association Guidelines for Boards of Trustees: Privacy Act (PDF) pre-dates the widespread use of outsourced IT services in schools, but includes the following recommendations for boards of trustees:

• “With the increased use of computer-based human resources information systems, it is appropriate to make specific recommendations regarding software security. The factors to be considered include […] training of staff in the use of the system and their responsibility to maintain information privacy.” 
• “The use also of information systems and websites can further extend the need for broad based policies to ensure safeguards for staff and students personal information.”

The New Zealand Teachers Council Code of Ethics says that teachers “will strive to … protect the confidentiality of information about learners obtained in the course of professional service, consistent with legal requirements.”

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner published Cloud Computing - A guide to making the right choices (PDF) in February 2013.

Relevant topics include:

• “Know exactly what you're signing up for.”
• “Be as up front with your clients as you can.” In the school context, the “clients” would be students and their parents or guardians.
• “Use and disclosure - who sees the information and what will it be used for.”

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s guidelines note: “Any use of personal information should be directly related to the purpose for which you've got the information in the first place. If it's being used for a new purpose, that should almost always be authorised by the person the information is about.”

Most school students are minors, so it is not necessarily appropriate to expect them to fully understand or agree to contracts and privacy statements. There is no exception for services that are “free” for schools to use. Although “free” services are more likely to be adopted without formal processes, governance considerations on topics like privacy are the same as for paid services.

School Governance

Schools can take steps to ensure that outside providers, including cloud service providers, provide the information and contract terms that schools require to meet their own governance needs. It is important that schools consider all the choices they have.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s cloud computing checklist provides a useful starting point for schools. The guidelines suggest that, “You may not have much clout when it comes to negotiating contract terms, but you probably have a choice of providers – compare the protections they’re able to offer.”

Schools can protect student privacy by demanding a firm contractual commitment from providers that there will be no new use of the data, such that schools can be assured that they have met their obligations.

This will be relevant for schools to take advantage of Privacy Act section 3(4)(c) where information stored or processed outside the school may still be deemed from a privacy law standpoint to be held by the school, without legally requiring further consent from the parents or guardians of students (although notification would still be good practice).

Reducing the risk of human error with email

Email mistakes are one of the top privacy risks that schools face.

There’s nothing difficult about the policies and training for being careful with email. The rules for email are essentially the same as for other communications. However, the ease with which vast amounts of data can be leaked is greater. People often assume that email communications are more private and secure than they really are. That means staff need to be reminded periodically about the importance of being careful.

While policies, training, and good database controls are important, people will continue to use email as a convenient mechanism to share data, and mistakes do happen.

Human error relating to email can be greatly reduced with today’s data loss prevention technology that can be configured to intelligently scan emails and attachments before they leave the school, to warn staff if they are sending email outside the school with personal information such as credit card details, phrases like “in confidence”, or email addresses.

We encourage schools to keep up to speed with privacy-enhancing technology. We believe that if it’s affordable, effective, and easy to deploy, then it makes sense for schools to do so. Microsoft Exchange 2013 (on premises) and Office 365 (cloud) both have the option for data loss prevention, and there are also solutions from other providers.

As boards of trustees and schools are making critical decisions about the technology services they bring into schools, they need to be asking vendors the right questions and putting protections in place to safeguard both students and teachers.

How can providers respond?

Cloud service providers should be transparent in how they use student data to support schools in obtaining any required parental consent for the collection, new uses and sharing of that information.

“Privacy is a top priority for Microsoft,” says Jeff Healey, Public Sector Director, Microsoft New Zealand Limited.

“In general service providers will have no difficulty making strong commitments to schools on privacy, so many people would be surprised at the possibility that student data could be deliberately mined for a provider’s own benefit and commercialised in various ways,” he explains. “However, that’s a very real possibility today as new business models based on data mining and advertising are emerging.”

“In today’s environment it is very important that schools ask every provider, in New Zealand and overseas, how the data they collect from you and your students will be used. It needs to be clear in the contract because that might be all you will have to fall back on.”

“Microsoft offers many of our Office 365 cloud services to all New Zealand schools free of charge so that staff and students can use email and collaborate on documents from any web browser. Even though these services are free for schools, I can confirm that Microsoft makes a firm commitment that the company will only use the Office 365 customer data (including teacher and student personal information) to provide the services, and that customer data is not shared with other services for advertising purposes.”

“To be open and transparent about these services, we recently prepared a standard response to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s cloud guidelines, and we welcome enquiries from schools.”

The standard response for Office 365 can be found at: https://aka.ms/NZprivacyOffice365 (PDF)

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited. 

In preparation for Māori Language Week 2013, Microsoft has announced today that the choice to use te reo Māori in Windows 8, Office 2013, Outlook.com, and Internet Explorer 10 is available now.

“We are thrilled to continue our support for te reo Māori,” says Paul Muckleston, Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand Limited. “We are grateful for the hard work that so many people have done to make it possible to weave this taonga into the very latest of tablet, smartphone, PC, and cloud technologies.”

“We are also announcing our support for a new initiative that can bring free te reo Māori translations to the Internet with the Microsoft Translator Hub in the future,” says Muckleston.

“Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to te reo Māori deserves to be celebrated,” says Glenis Philip-Barbara, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. “Microsoft has worked with translators to develop and polish top notch translations for more than 100,000 phrases and they provide a truly immersive experience. It is exciting to see our language so comprehensively supported in the Microsoft products that are widely used in our community.”

Philip-Barbara adds that support for te reo Māori in technology is essential for investing in tamariki by offering an interface from their school years. This allows youth to be immersed in te reo for life. 

New support for te reo Māori in Microsoft products includes the following.

• In Windows 8, te reo Māori can be applied to the desktop and the modern touch-friendly interface, as well as the included apps for Mail, Calendar, People, Weather, Maps, Games, Music, Finance, News, Defender (the included free anti-virus software) and more. 
• The new Internet Explorer 10 web browser for Windows 7 and Windows 8 can also be used with te reo Māori menus and options. 
• With Office 2013, te reo Māori can be applied to Outlook 2013, Word 2013, Excel 2013, PowerPoint 2013, and OneNote 2013. The free online email service Outlook.com also has the option to be used in te reo Māori.
• Windows Phone 8 now offers te reo Māori support for the Regional Settings (this will display things like the time and date in te reo Māori).

All of these te reo Māori options are available today at no extra cost, through a simple change in the Language Settings (Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10, Outlook.com, and Windows Phone 8), or with a free download (Office 2013 from https://aka.ms/Office2013inTeReo). You can see screenshots of how it looks once the language packs are installed here: http://sdrv.ms/14aZVLE

Previous versions of Windows and Office are also supported.

Anne Taylor, Customer Marketing Manager at Microsoft New Zealand Limited, has been a champion of te reo Māori within Microsoft from the outset. She says the work involved in the development of this Māori language support would not have been possible without many people working towards a common goal. Individual contributors include Haami Piripi, Huhana Rokx, Sharon Armstrong, Wiha Raki-Hawea, Lee Smith, Te Haumihiata Mason, Te Taka Keegan, Tom Roa, Roger Lewis, Wareko Te Āngina, Eva Mahara, Hohepa MacDougall, John Moorfield, and Dave Moskovitz.

Taylor says, “On behalf of Microsoft, I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make te reo come to life in a technological context, and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori for their encouragement and recognition of the work that has been done.”

“We encourage everyone to try these te reo Māori interfaces for themselves,” says Anne. “Our vision is that everyone can immerse themselves in te reo Māori when they use our technology, to keep the language vibrant with the community leaders who know it well, and to revitalise and grow language use among children and learners.”

Waikato University Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Dr Te Taka Keegan, has worked closely with Microsoft to develop the te reo Māori interfaces. He says there is a need for greater access to technology to facilitate the use of the language on an everyday basis.  

Dr Keegan says, “Microsoft’s 10 years of work has laid a foundation for te reo Māori in the technology environment and highlighted how te reo Māori can be used in modern contexts.”

“The impact of Microsoft's work is far reaching, giving future generations of Māori language speakers the expectation that their computing and technology can, and more importantly should, be available in te reo Māori.”

Building on this work, Microsoft New Zealand Limited announced today that it would support the establishment of a new charitable foundation for te reo Māori language experts and advocates to bring free te reo Māori translations to the Internet.

“Microsoft has been researching technology that allows computers to learn how to translate from one language to another for more than a decade,” says Muckleston. “Microsoft technology powers the free translation tool at www.bing.com/translator/ that can translate any text or website, the translations that people see in Facebook and various consumer apps, and in software that is used by professional translators to help them be more productive.”

Microsoft’s translation service has the potential to make translations to and from te reo Māori much more accessible to anyone through the Internet, says Pare Keiha, Dean of Te Ara Poutama, Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at AUT University. “Being part of the process of building a new translation service for te reo Māori will be a wonderful experience for language students.”

He is also excited about the future possibilities. “If we can bring this ambitious project to fruition over the coming years, professional translators will be able to use the service in their work,” says Keiha. “It will save a lot of time, so that more things can be translated into te reo Māori. And anyone will be able to tap into the service to get the gist of what is being said in te reo. Microsoft is taking a neutral approach so there is no restriction on which smart devices can be used to access the service.”

“Microsoft has been consulting with te reo Māori experts over the last year about the concept of bringing this instant translation technology to everyone. Based on the words of support and encouragement we have received, we would like to work with Māori on this voyage to translation support in these tools for te reo Māori,” says Muckleston. “This won’t happen overnight, and it will take a lot of hard work by Microsoft and many volunteers – but we think it is important to start on this ambitious project now so that te reo Māori in the technological environment can be used more widely in the future.”

The first step will be for the community to use a free tool called the Microsoft Translator Hub to immerse the computer learning technology in te reo Māori, so that the software can learn the vocabulary and grammar of the language. This requires a large collection of works that are available in te reo Māori and in English or another supported language.

Muckleston says, “Microsoft offers the Translator Hub as a free service for language enthusiasts and experts to chart their own pathways towards building sophisticated machine translation engines for their own use. It’s a self-service tool that allows people to include everyone in their community who can help to build the engine.”

“Most of the work will be done by enthusiasts and volunteers, and it will be important to recognise their work,” explains Muckleston. “Microsoft will also give the project a boost with an initial funding grant for a researcher to collect translated works and add them to the Translator Hub to get things underway.”

Based on discussions with te reo Māori experts, Microsoft is aware that the approach that will receive the widest support in New Zealand is for an independent charitable foundation, governed and controlled by Māori, to collect and hold the body of translated works so that it can be used not only for the Microsoft Translator Hub project, but also for other projects that will enrich the language in the future.

“We recognise that collecting these valuable translated works from community and Government stakeholders is something that needs to be handled responsibly,” says Muckleston. “The body of translated works that will be collected will be a cultural treasure in itself, and it is too valuable to be locked into any one company’s service. We understand that it needs to be readily available for other initiatives to study the language and improve access for the entire community.”

“Microsoft’s approach puts Māori firmly in control of the body of translated works, and the Microsoft Translator Hub project itself,” explains Evelyn Tobin MNZM, JP, and Director, Kōtare Enterprises Ltd. “This is important, because it means Māori own the process, and the critical decisions. I encourage everyone who is interested in revitalising te reo Māori to come forward and support this work.”

Leading New Zealand law firm Chapman Tripp has offered to help with the establishment work of the foundation on a pro bono basis.

“Our firm supports the enrichment of te reo Māori and we are excited to be part of this project,” says Justin Graham, Senior Associate at Chapman Tripp. “As someone who is learning te reo myself, I feel this is an important project for New Zealand, and I am delighted to be able to volunteer my time alongside people who are recognised as leaders in te reo.”

Language experts Evelyn Tobin, Pare Keiha, and Te Taka Keegan have been nominated as initial trustees for the foundation, and there is an open invitation for iwi nominees, language enthusiasts, and representatives of the Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori to participate.

The charitable foundation is due to be launched soon, which will open up this project to contributions from the public. If you are interested to find out more about the project, if you have feedback for us on the proposal, or if you would like to be part of it, please get in touch with us at TeReoMaori@microsoft.com.

To find out more about Microsoft’s commitment to languages please visit the Microsoft Local Language Program website at http://www.microsoft.com/LLP/. To find out more about Microsoft’s work on language technology please visit http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/mt/.

You can link to this blog post through:  https://aka.ms/ArohatiaTeReo2013

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager at Microsoft NZ, says “Organisations know that trust matters. They need to keep business information secure, and do the right thing on privacy. But people often tell us they’re unsure what to ask.”

In February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner published a plain English cloud computing guide. That guidance is available at http://privacy.org.nz/using-the-cloud/.

“Headlines about information leaks have raised awareness, and Kiwi organisations are taking privacy seriously. They want their move to the cloud to improve privacy and security, so they’re asking us to take them through this cloud guidance,” says Waldo.

Today, Microsoft NZ has released a standard response to help organisations assess the Office 365 cloud service, based on the cloud guidance from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. “It’s a very straightforward way for people to work through this official cloud privacy guidance if they’re considering Office 365,” explains Waldo.

Andrew Hunt, CEO of technology support company Kinetics Group, says, “Electronic records are critical. I ask people, ‘How well are you taking care of your data?’ Too often we’re asked to come in after data has been lost. It’s so much better to prevent issues in the first place.”

Privacy Awareness Week 2013 is next week, from 28 April to 4 May. “It’s like checking the batteries on your smoke alarm or your car’s warrant of fitness, you need to check periodically that everything is in order,” says Andrew.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner's guidance says, “Think of what risks you currently have with handling personal information. Will using the cloud increase or decrease those risks?” Andrew agrees, “The guidance from the Privacy Commissioner is a valuable checklist to use with current and future providers. If you choose carefully, cloud services can definitely be a step up.” 

With Office 365, Microsoft makes a contractual commitment to use customer data only to provide the Office 365 service to customers of the service. “We think this use limitation is important because customer data could include sensitive or personal information about your staff, clients, patients, customers, or students,” says Waldo. “Microsoft’s policy is not to use Office 365 customer data for other purposes, such as profiling people for advertising or improving advertising services.”

A recent upgrade to Office 365 added new security features, including the option to deploy data loss prevention rules that can help prevent sensitive information from being leaked by email. Upgrades to Office 365 are automatically available to customers, so they can have the latest technology at their fingertips.

“Privacy and security have been a big focus for Office 365 from the outset. We hope Office 365 will play a part in helping many New Zealand organisations improve privacy, security, and service continuity disciplines in a cost effective way,” says Waldo.

The standard response for Office 365 is available at: https://aka.ms/NZprivacyOffice365 or below (PDF, 489KB).

Standard Response to OPC Cloud Computing Checklist for Office 365 - 24 April 2013.pdf

The international standards community is working together to address many of the common challenges of cloud computing. These challenges include clarifying exactly what is meant by 'cloud computing', managing its risks, increasing security, and improving the governance and management of cloud-based services. The goal is to make cloud computing easier for your organisation – whether that's as a cloud computing consumer or provider.

The work of ISO Joint Technical Committee 1/SC 38

The main International Standards Organisation (ISO) group that deals with cloud computing is joint technical committee (JTC) 1/subcommittee (SC) 38, Distributed applications, platforms, and services. SC 38 was created about 3 years ago and is one of the rapidly growing JTC 1 subcommittees.

Working group (WG) 3 is the cloud working group within SC 38.

WG 3 is working with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations agency, to develop:

• a cloud-computing vocabulary, draft Standard ISO/IEC 17788, to help cloud computing users to communicate in a common and clearly understood way
• a reference architecture, draft Standard ISO/IEC 17789, to help cloud-computing users to understand the overall capabilities of a cloud computing service and the pieces within it.

As you can imagine, cloud computing is a large topic and has a lot of interest from many participants around the world. The Standards team (known officially as ITU-T SG 13/WP 6 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38/WG 3 Collaborative Team on Cloud Computing) that is working on these Standards is from three Standards bodies – ISO, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the ITU – so there is plenty of discussion and work to ensure the best outcome for everyone.

The last meeting of this collaborative team was held in Geneva in February 2013. At that meeting, it was apparent that the vocabulary and reference architecture documents were closely intertwined and over 200 comments on both Standards were received from participants.

The next plenary and working group meeting of SC 38 will be in Madrid in April 2013, where additional topics such as service delivery and service level agreements will also be addressed.

Helping to make cloud computing more 'business friendly'

Cloud computing isn't just about understanding the terms and architecture of this new computing model. The international Standards bodies (of which New Zealand is a prominent participant) are also helping to make cloud computing more 'business friendly', with guidance and codes of practice for the governance, security, and use of cloud computing.

Other ISO committees and SCs are also understanding the value that cloud computing brings to business and government and are extending their work to ensure that the cloud computing approach can be addressed.

Information technology security techniques

JTC 1/SC 27, Security techniques, has produced the widely used ISO/IEC 27000 Information technology – Security techniques series of Standards that help organisations develop and maintain information security management systems. SC 27 is now working on a number of cloud specific Standards including:

• the draft Standard ISO/IEC 27017 Information technology – Security techniques – Information security management – Guidelines on information security controls for the use of cloud computing services based on ISO/IEC 27002
• the existing ISO/IEC 27002 Standard, Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice for information management is used as a reference for selecting controls (such as asset inventory and credential controls) within the process of implementing an Information Security Management System
• the draft Standard ISO 27017 provides additional implementation for relevant information security controls based on ISO 27002, particularly as they relate to cloud computing
• the draft Standard ISO 27017 is aimed at both providers and consumers of cloud services.
• the draft Standard ISO/IEC 27018 Code of practice for data protection controls for public cloud computing services. This Standard is aimed at cloud-computing providers to provide them with a common set of security categories and controls that are aligned with legislation around the world that regulates personally identified information (PII). By selecting public cloud-computing providers that implement this Standard, users of these services will more easily be able to meet their own data protection obligations. It is expected that this Standard will align with the proposed European Union's General Data Protection Regulation
• the draft Standard ISO/IEC 27036 Information security for supplier relationships. This multi-part Standard describes security issues from the user (acquirer) of the information services as well as those from the vendor (supplier) perspectives. By implementing the processes in the Standard, the business objectives of both parties can be met with reduced risk. Part four of this Standard will deal specifically with the security for supplier relationships relating to cloud services.

Risk management

The economy of scale and utility approaches provided through cloud computing allow for huge cost savings compared to running similar services within your business. However, there is naturally an element of risk along with these benefits. ISO 31000 Risk management – Principles and guidelines provides a formal approach to understand and address the risk when considering a cloud-based option. Its approach consists of three main parts: a set of principles, a risk life cycle framework, and a process to deal with risk.

Governance of IT

ISO/IEC JTC 1 has created a newly formed WG 8 to look at the Governance of IT. WG 8 brings together other groups and aims to maintain the existing ISO/IEC 38500 Corporate governance of information technology Standard. ISO/IEC 38500 offers guidance to governing bodies (such as the board of directors) to help with information technology in general. The origin of ISO/IEC 38500 was the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 8015.

Work continues on ISO/IEC Technical Report, 38501, which provides implementation guidance for ISO/IEC 38500, while ISO/IEC 38502 will describe a framework and model for the governance of IT and the relationship with associated functions and systems for the management of IT systems.

WG 8 will also develop Standards for the governance of forensics and the governance of IT audit.

Service management system requirements

The ISO/IEC 20000 Information technology – Service management series of Standards includes the design, transition, delivery, and improvement of services for the benefit of both the customer and the service provider. This Standard has its origins in the British Standards Institute BS 15000 Standard and uses a 'Plan-Do-Check-Act' approach to inform the development of outsourcing agreements, which may include cloud-computing components.

You may notice that these international Standards cover similar ground to other national Standards and regulations. That's no coincidence, because an objective of international Standards is to bring best practices from around the world and harmonise the Standards and regulations across different countries. The result is that compliance with international Standards minimises trade barriers and creates new opportunities for local businesses to expand internationally.

Article by Geoff Clarke, Regional Standards Officer at Microsoft (covering Australia and New Zealand).

Following a karakia led by local kaumātua Sam and June Jackson, the Wellington office opened its doors to the public at 11am this morning. Local Member of Parliament Grant Robertson and US Ambassador David Huebner attended a celebration with Microsoft partners, community stakeholders, and customers.

The new office puts people at the centre. The fresh design was placed in the hands of Microsoft’s Wellington staff, working with local architects Stephenson&Turner and taking inspiration from the movement towards activity based working. The goal was to make people feel great about being here.

Microsoft offices around the world have started to move to activity based working. This has been inspired by today’s technology that allows work to be done seamlessly from anywhere. New flexibility allows people to define work by what they do, rather than where they are.

At its core, the model is based on trust in people’s contribution to the team, rather than supervision of where and when they work. With devices connected through the Microsoft cloud, people can be present from anywhere.  The office becomes a hub for collaboration and meetings that is designed to suit people’s needs of the moment.

Microsoft Wellington now has three spacious zones. A blue-themed area greets visitors with a view over Lambton Quay and rooms infused with clear daylight for meetings with customers and partners. An orange themed zone caters to collaboration and open-plan work. From a public café-style area, it moves to more formal workspaces including bar-stool desks, a lounge room, and a patio-styled breakout area with an indoor trellis and plants.

The quiet zone has a green theme, and this is where people can retreat any time to focus intently on a personal commitment. Although the total area of the office is unchanged, the smart design that our employees teamed up on with the architects has given us extra meeting rooms, a larger reception area, and spacious accommodation of the same number of people.

There are no fixed offices, cubicles, or desks. Each workstation is equipped with a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, so that people can use a single USB cable to quickly and easily plug in to a comfortable and productive desk arrangement.

Of course, employees can also work effectively from home, customer premises, or Mojo. Instead of desk phones, we use Lync for Internet-powered communications. There is secure access to the Intranet from any trusted device. Email and documents are connected through the cloud. 

All of this technology is focused on helping people to be more productive, to collaborate better, to achieve their potential.

In his speech, Grant Robertson observed that it was encouraging to see a work style that supported diversity, with all aspects of the technology and design being carefully arranged to support people and the contributions they each make. We hope to be able to share what we've learnt from our move to activity based working with others in Wellington and around the country.

Wellingtonian Mark Rees is Microsoft’s National Technology Officer. “The design of the office helps me to achieve more - whether it is the conversation zone where people can work together and share ideas or the quiet zone where people can focus on their work independently. You choose the room to suit the work you have to do and each area provides a flexible mix of technology to facilitate the many different work and meeting styles and needs. It makes the office a more enjoyable place to work and I feel like I am getting more done.”

Our employees love the flexibility, and Microsoft’s experience with activity based working around the world has shown that there are some very concrete business benefits too. We are able to accommodate more customer and partner meetings at our premises. Staff can commute outside rush hour or work from home more readily, saving time and petrol. In larger offices, we have found that we can often reduce the space we need, saving on rent and energy use.

We are proud of the work our people have done to make this space uniquely theirs. If you would like a tour of the new office to find out more about what we have done, please get in touch so that we can make the necessary arrangements. 

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

New Zealand consumers want access to fantastic apps that are built just for them. As a small gesture of encouragement to people working on turning local data sources such as the Government’s open data archives into beautiful apps especially for Kiwis, we announced a contest at TechEd NZ 2012 on Humanising Data. Today we’re pleased to announce the five winning apps selected by the judges.

University of Canterbury CEISMIC Earthquake Archive

The CEISMIC Earthquake Archive app provides a beautiful and moving interface that gives quick access to Internet archives related to the Canterbury earthquakes. This is an invaluable tool for people who experienced the earthquakes, or who want to undertake research on the topic.

Matt Pickering, Managing Director of NV Interactive, says, “The NV Interactive team are absolutely delighted to have won the Humanising Data competition for the University of Canterbury CEISMIC app, a project destined to become the official Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive.”

“NV Interactive was founded in Christchurch fifteen years ago and whilst now nationwide, remains deeply rooted in the city making this award is very special to us.  If the last two years have taught us anything it is that there are humans at the end of the statistics.” 

The CEISMIC project was also an extension of the various earthquake response initiatives that led to NV Interactive securing an unprecedented double Partner of the Year win at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Awards for Web Development and Citizenship.

Get the CEISMIC Earthquake Archive app in the Windows Store.

MP Twits

The MP Twits app provides citizens with a user-friendly window into discussions that Members of Parliament are having on Twitter, without the need for any Twitter or Government expertise. It is valuable for all New Zealanders to be able to participate in open dialogue with Members of Parliament.

One of the app’s engineers, Hady Osman, says, “We wanted to offer a medium for New Zealanders to get to know the opinion of their MPs on topics that are important for them without any distortion noise.” He also thanked Datacom NZ for supporting himself and his colleagues in learning the skills needed to take advantage of the new development environment.

Get the MP Twits app in the Windows Store.

NZ Bird Finder

The Bird Finder app offers unique tools to identify birds in New Zealand based on photos, location, and bird calls. It will be valuable for anyone who wants to know more about birds in New Zealand. The app mentions the original te reo Māori names of birds, and has direct links to further information on Wikipedia.

Lachlan Keown who built the app says, “I like Windows 8 and have enjoyed dabbling in building apps for it. The learning curve was not too bad, as Microsoft have made a lot of resources and examples available. The TechEd New Zealand sessions I attended in September were really what inspired me.”

Get the NZ Bird Finder app in the Windows Store.

Auckland Traffic

This app is essential for every Aucklander and every visitor who wants to be fore-warned. The live tile means that people can see at a glance what the traffic conditions are, without even loading the app. The option to pin a live feed from individual traffic cameras is useful to know what’s happening on the journey to and from work.

Get the Auckland Traffic Live Tile app in the Windows Store.

Spotlight On: NZ

This app provides easy access to an astonishing array of reputable open data sources, including Government open data. It is a useful tool for students and researchers who would like to find current and historic information about New Zealand from multiple official sources.

The depth of data that can be accessed through the tool is impressive, and the ability to categorise results and save searches is outstanding. The app is attractive and easy to use.

Jono Steward who built the app says, “You get so much for free out of the box that it makes developing very fluid, good looking applications incredibly easy. Of course, to make a very good app takes some time, but there are plenty of resources available to learn from!”

Get the Spotlight On: NZ app in the Windows Store.

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

It was an inspiring event that celebrated the contributions of 30 individuals and organisations who have contributed to te reo Māori through their work. I attended the event with my colleague Anne Taylor, who has supported Microsoft's investment in te reo Māori since 2004.

Microsoft has collaborated with language experts to bring te reo Māori to Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer. All it takes to add a te reo Māori user interface to these products is installing the free downloads for each product. We encourage everyone to try it.

We are honoured to be recognised for this investment through the awards. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge all those who have been involved with this work, and thank them for it. This work has only been possible because of your passion and dedication.

• Haami Piripi, Huhana Rokx, Sharon Armstrong, Lee Smith, Te Haumihiata Mason, Te Taka Keegan, Tom Roa, Roger Lewis, Wareko Te Āngina, Eva Mahara, Wiha Raki-Hawea, Hohepa MacDougall, John Moorfield, and Dave Moskovitz,
• Te Taurawhiri I Te Reo Māori,
• Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, and Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo,
• School Principal Laura Hawksworth and Students at Toku Mapihi Maurea Kura Kaupapa Maori,
• Parekura Horomia, David Cunliffe, and John Tamihere, and
• many others who have worked on the projects.

The work that these people have made possible for three generations of products (from Windows XP onwards) includes:

• a Māori keyboard layout to offer easier access to macrons.
• around 2,000 technology-related terms expressed in te reo Māori for the first time, such as co-processor (hoatukatuka); de-fragmentation (whakatōpūnga); progress indicator (tōtohu kaunuku); cascading menu (tahua hūkere); interrupt request (tono haukati); network adapter (whāurutau whatunga); router (pouara); identifier (pūtāutu); adapter (pūurutau). 
• nearly 100,000 phrases translated into te reo Māori.
• an electronic Māori dictionary to provide spelling suggestions in Microsoft Office.

The award therefore represents the dedicated hard work of many people working together to a common objective.

Although I am not fluent, I was determined to do my best to deliver my speech in te reo. I know that my pronunciation was far from perfect, so just in case I was not easy to understand I have attached my full speech notes below.

I would also like to acknowledge the work by the other finalists in the ICT category.

Vodafone NZ and Hika Group were finalists for the work they did to launch the Hika smartphone app that translates common phrases between English and te reo. Dennis J Gray was a finalist for the Māori Language keyboard he has developed, which includes dedicated keys for the macrons that are used to write in te reo.

Thank you to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and all of the other supporters and sponsors for making this fantastic event possible.

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

Māori Language Awards 2012 event photo by Alick Saunders. With thanks to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

Maori Language Awards 2012 speech.pdf

A strong theme of this year’s keynote was the use of technology to make data human: Useful, exciting, beautiful, and even fun! It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking at a page of numbers, but keynote speaker Jer Thorp (Data Artist in Residence, New York Times) showed with great humour and conviction exactly how to achieve it.

Continuing the theme of making data human, Hon Amy Adams (Minister of Communications and Information Technology) discussed the data that Government collect and make freely available for businesses and developers to gain insight and build great applications. The Government’s data.govt.nz website now boasts almost 2,000 sets of open data.

We were pleased to announce a contest to build Windows 8 apps that make use of New Zealand data, for New Zealanders. The contest is open to all New Zealand residents, and we’re giving away five Windows RT slates to the contest winners as an extra incentive for people to get involved.

The dozen tertiary students running the Windows 8 lounge provided demonstrations of just how easy it is to develop apps for Windows 8. I was interested to learn that there are even free app templates that allow people to get started by copying and pasting in their content, and making a few simple tweaks (following step-by-step instructions) to the HTML5 and Javascript code.

TechEd New Zealand has been run by Microsoft for the last 17 years, with the millions of dollars we invest each year in conducting more than a hundred sessions led by world technology leaders from NZ and around the globe paid for by ticket sales and contributions from our wonderful sponsors and exhibitors. As well as the loyal support we received again from HP as Platinum Sponsor, the event was made possible by ACE Training, Provoke Solutions, snap!, and Vista Entertainment Solutions. The exhibitor displays this year were better than ever, and there was a lot of fun to be had too.

HP proved their wireless equipment was weather-proof by submerging it in a fish tank. Intergen had their racing simulators running hot, with beautiful leader-boards and tracking to subtly show off a bit of their data visualisation expertise. Vista Entertainment Solutions served coffee orders by the thousands.

Microsoft has recently made a number of announcements about new innovations, and we were pleased to feature many of these at our own exhibit in the Hub.  The New Office sponsored the welcome reception, a showcase of Kiwi organisations that are taking advantage of Microsoft cloud services was on display, Roborazzi the robotic photographer roamed around doing its job, and delegates went hands-on with Windows 8 on everything from smokin’ gaming rigs, fine looking laptops, slates, and even the world’s largest touchscreen display. 

We were delighted to kick off the global launch of Windows Server 2012 from TechEd New Zealand on 5 September.

Windows Server 2012 is new technology that brings technology and experience from Microsoft’s public cloud services and makes it available to any organisation so that they can build their own cloud services – easier, better, and cheaper than before.
 
Of course, TechEd would not feel complete without TechFest. This year the IT part of the year was held at the Cloud (Queens Wharf, Auckland) and it featured The Feelers, Minuit, and MC Jesse Mulligan.

There were also some great events before and after TechEd that should be mentioned. Before the conference, we hosted hands-on Windows 8 Developer Camps and a Business Intelligence Academy. After TechEd, the Microsoft community again organised and hosted a fantastic full-day Code Camp event.

We know that not everyone can be at the event (or attend every session even if they were), so we’re now in the process of uploading sessions to the TechEd section on Channel 9, where they can be viewed by anyone free of charge at their convenience.

By Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

TechEd 2012 event photos by Ollie Dale of www.photonz.com.

Internet-based subscriptions make cloud computing a cheaper way for businesses to get computer technology working for them. Capital expenditure and maintenance can largely be taken care of by cloud providers in return for a fee based on actual use. Because of scale and automation, that fee is typically less than your actual costs would be running services yourself.

Today's Microsoft cloud solutions can help businesses:

• Keep email, calendars, and documents in sync, no matter where you access them.
• Host online meetings, with rich voice, video, and document sharing.
• Keep track of customer relationships and gain insight from data.
• Create a simple website to provide information about your business to the world.
• Store and quickly process enormous amounts of data for business or scientific insight.
• Help keep an organisation’s computers and phones secure and running smoothly.
• Efficiently host sophisticated custom websites, business apps, and virtual machines.

You can move at your own speed – Microsoft’s flexible approach allows the mix of private or public services (either in NZ or in a global datacentre) that suits you. There is no “our cloud or nothing” ultimatum.

This article summarises some of the circumstances in which it's worth considering a cloud option, and some of the factors to weigh up when moving business-critical support services to the cloud.

What is cloud computing?

A “cloud service” is a large-scale service powered by computers. Most of them can be accessed over the Internet.

If you physically visit a “cloud” you would see thousands of computers, just the bare bones without screens or keyboards, stacked up neatly in racks inside ventilated containers. The facility they’re all kept in is known as a datacentre.

What’s great about cloud services is that they leave the routine aspects of computing to be managed by specialists at a scale that allows for automation and more efficient resource usage.

Cloud services can greatly reduce the environmental impact of computing because they are so much better at sharing resources.

Keep in sync

Email and documents are staples of business communication, but no one wants to have to spend time filtering out the spam.

Information is most useful when it’s accessible from anywhere, and synchronised so when you’ve read and replied with some edits on a document, you want all of that information to also be in sync on your PC or slate without needing to do anything special. And sometimes it’s also convenient to have web browse access to save costs or when there’s nothing better available.

Backups and archiving are critical, but few of us have time to keep offsite backups every day.

In the past, wiring up different systems to make all of this work and keeping it up to date was comparatively expensive, and generally only larger organisations could really achieve it. Today, even individuals working in home offices can have this technology at their fingertips with a simple per user monthly subscription.

For businesses that don’t have a website or find it difficult to manage, they can also get a website included as an easier way to build an Internet presence.

Cloud services also provide places to keep documents and collaborate on them within the organisation and with others you trust.

Office 365 is the Microsoft cloud that helps you keep in sync. The features described here are from the Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Web Apps components. A new version of the web apps has just been announced (image below)! A local or private cloud equivalent would use Exchange and SharePoint servers.

Communicate and collaborate

We spend much of our working day communicating, and a significant budget on travelling to meetings.

The Lync Online cloud service provides an online meeting space that can be used for conference calls and video conferences from one PC, slate, or smartphone to another. The meeting space allows for instant messages, and sharing of documents or a computer screen. It can be accessed with just a web browser, or people can dial-in if they prefer.

Of course, it also works perfectly well for private calls from one PC, slate, or smartphone to another. Sometimes we just want a quick reply to a question and it’s easier to send an instant message. People who use Lync Online find this a simple way to get things done faster.

Office 365 is the Microsoft cloud that helps you communicate and collaborate. The features described here are from the Lync Online component. A local or private cloud equivalent would use Lync servers.

Customer relationships

Every business needs to keep its customers happy, regardless of which employee might be working with the customer that day. Customer Relationship Management software helps to provide continuity and meet customer expectations, but it can’t live up to its promise if it’s costly to deploy and then employees don’t use it.

Cloud services make the deployment much simpler, and Dynamics CRM Online can integrate directly with Microsoft Outlook. Many businesses report that this is much easier than services that require information to be re-entered in a separate tool or website.

The simplicity of being able to use Microsoft Outlook as the hub for relationship management encourages employees to actually keep the customer relationship and transaction data current.

Dynamics CRM Online is the Microsoft cloud that helps to manage customer relationships and gain insight from transaction data. A local or private cloud equivalent would use Dynamics CRM.

Computer and phone security

There is a proliferation of devices in many modern workplaces. Desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, and slates all need to be maintained so that they run smoothly. They all need to be kept up to date for security purposes. For many, this becomes a complex and costly operation. Worse still, it is too often ignored until there is a serious data breach or loss of business.

There are cloud services to keep a wide range of PCs and gadgets working in top form. As well as helping with security and servicing, cloud services can perform functions like encrypting sensitive data, or using just an Internet connection to wipe gadgets that go missing.

Windows Intune is the Microsoft cloud that helps keep Windows PCs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices in shape. Windows Intune currently includes a subscription upgrade to Windows 7 so that PCs can be upgraded to the latest operating system technology. A local or private cloud equivalent would use System Centre technology.

Big data

Sometimes you have a lot of data that needs to be worked on quickly. Before cloud computing, it was common for organisations to invest building in datacentres and super computers of their own so that they could crunch data, or deal with massive spikes in customer demand (when many people visit a website, or provide data for processing simultaneously). These resources would often lie idle once the crunching was done.

Cloud computing allows for much more efficient sharing of resources, with enormous potential for cost savings. Instead of large capital investments, it’s now possible to simply send a “job” to the cloud to be processed, and have it returned soon after.

Windows Azure is the Microsoft cloud that provides massive data storage and data crunching capabilities, with ready access to SQL Database capabilities as well as Apache Hadoop. The local or private cloud equivalent would use Windows Server and SQL Server.

Sophisticated custom sites, apps, and VMs

Some business websites and applications can’t just be built from out-of-the-box components, and need a little (or a lot) more work.

New sites and services can now be cloud natives – created in the cloud, for the cloud. This provides the highest level of efficiency and greatest benefit, as it hands over responsibility for taking care of the underlying operating system to the cloud provider.

At other times, businesses may prefer to take a more conservative approach, where they continue to maintain all aspects of the system but simply want an efficient and reliable place to host a virtual machine they have created. This could also be the best choice for moving legacy applications to the cloud without changing code.

Of course, access can be restricted to an organisation’s authorised employees using a virtual network where that is appropriate, so “public cloud” resources can be private to an organisation.

Windows Azure is the Microsoft cloud that provides many options to build websites, applications, identity management solutions (illustrated below), media services, and virtual machines for public or private use.

Windows Azure websites can be built with ASP.NET, PHP, or node.js and deployed in seconds with FTP, Git, or TFS. Click-to-install support is available for a growing library of open source apps, such as WordPress. Windows Azure apps can be built with .NET, Java, node.js, Python, and more. Windows Server and Linux VMs can be deployed on Windows Azure.

A local or private cloud equivalent would use Windows Server.

Security

Malicious attempts to infiltrate computer infrastructure have become more frequent and more sophisticated. When these attacks succeed, the consequences for the victims can be serious. Confidential information and personal information are at risk.

In this environment, we hear that security is often the number one consideration for organisations when considering the future of their technology infrastructure. Security is a valid concern, and we encourage organisations to consider their options carefully.

Microsoft takes these concerns seriously and has applied its experience with the Security Development Lifecycle to its cloud services.  Many organisations find that our cloud services can provide a higher standard of security at lower cost than they would be capable of maintaining with their own in-house systems.

Our goal is to operate each layer of the services as securely as possible, and to give organisations accurate information about our security, so that organisations can make informed comparisons. Each year, Microsoft cloud datacentres undergo third-party audits to validate compliance with our policies and procedures.

Privacy & Data Use

Microsoft provides a coherent, robust, and transparent privacy policy emphasizing that organisations maintain ownership of data we hold or process on their behalf.

Microsoft enterprise cloud services such as Office 365, Windows Intune, and Windows Azure do not build advertising products out of customer data. We don’t scan customers’ email or documents for building analytics, data mining, advertising, or improving the service.

Customers can remove their data whenever they choose to.

Transparency

With Office 365, you know where the major data centres are located, and how we determine where your data is stored.  Microsoft offers detailed information on who can access your Office 365 customer data, and under what circumstances they access it (e.g., customer support).

As an Office 365 administrator, you can choose to receive updates regarding data centre location changes, as well as security, privacy, and audit information.

You can find out more about Microsoft’s work to build trustworthy cloud services at the Office 365 Trust Centre, the Windows Azure Trust Centre, the Dynamics CRM Online Trust Centre, and the Global Foundation Services website.

Verification

To help decision makers compare their options, the company has provided detailed information, certified to the standards such as ISO 27001, signed the European Union Safe Harbour agreement, and provided public responses to the Cloud Security Alliance’s Cloud Control Matrix.

Microsoft offers a comprehensive standard Data Processing Agreement (DPA) to all Office 365 customers. A DPA addresses privacy, security and handling of customer data.

Private cloud

There are many Government and business customers who would like to use cloud technology to drive efficiency and innovation, but prefer to have the choice to keep some data or services with a New Zealand provider, or at their premises.

For them, the ability to set up a private cloud using technology developed by the same people that engineer leading global cloud services is an advantage. Built on decades of experience gleaned from running massive datacentres at scale, Windows Server 2012 works with System Centre 2012 to provide private cloud-optimized environments for customers of all sizes.

Windows Server 2012, currently available as a Release Candidate, delivers hundreds of new features and enhancements spanning virtualization, networking, storage, user experience, cloud computing, automation, and more.

Getting on with business

The era of the cloud is here. Businesses have unprecedented choices for how and when to deploy technology that will help them innovate or save. They have more choice than ever about how much of the logistics they want to manage themselves, or hand off to specialists running NZ or global datacentres so they can get on with their core business. Great broadband infrastructure makes for a smoother and more productive experience with cloud solutions that has been possible in the past.

For those who want to evolve their skills and their businesses, the opportunity to help others get on board with domestic or global cloud services has never been better.

Article by Waldo Kuipers, Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft New Zealand Limited

Plunket is the largest provider of free support services for the development, health and well-being of children under the age of five in New Zealand. The non-profit organization has been undertaking a technology transformation over the past 18 months, which Microsoft has been supporting with a significant software grant. Microsoft New Zealand employees, as enthusiastic supporters of the work Plunket does in the community, were eager to devote time and resources to work together with Plunket to ensure that they were able to maximize the value of the investment they received.

“Expertise in skill areas that Plunket does not currently possess, but Microsoft has in spades, is highly valued,” said Craig Le Quesne, General Manager, Information Communications Technology, Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. “A key deliverable for me was the development of an Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) for Plunket. Volunteers from Microsoft New Zealand have provided guidance both to me and indirectly to our senior management team about the most appropriate way to approach this work, while recognizing where Plunket is on its technology journey.”

The collaboration with Microsoft had enabled Le Quesne’s team to attain a better understanding of the business outcomes that Plunket ultimately aims to achieve, resulting in a more active exchange of business ideas and planning between the different organizational units at Plunket. “Microsoft’s involvement has helped to fast-track Plunket’s maturity in this area, with the realization that technology can support good ideas, not necessarily drive them,” Le Quesne added.

“The Microsoft volunteers have been able to mentor and strengthen the skills within Plunket, and we have set a challenging program of work that builds on the contributions made by the volunteers. They have played a key role in helping us develop a technology vision that will help achieve the best start for every child,” said Jenny Prince, Chief Executive, Royal New Zealand Plunket Society.

For me, this project brings to mine the Maori proverb, Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi – ‘with your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive’. It is a testament to what can be achieved through cross-sector, cross-discipline collaboration and the goodwill of volunteers who bring their time (and where possible their expertise) to help community organisations achieve even better results from their work.

Article by Belinda Gorman, Citizenship & Community Affairs, Microsoft New Zealand Limited